Bow forming apparatus



April R. K. REYNOLDS 2,077, 370

BOW FORMING APPARATUS Filed July 18, 1953 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 '1YIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR Ra l1 [QR/e nous BY Q3 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 13}, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT BOW FORMING APPARATUS Application July 18, 1933, Serial No. 680,936

15 Claims.

This invention relates to a bow forming device.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a bow forming device which will be simple,

practical, and thoroughly durable. Another object is to provide a device of the above character which will aid materially in the formation of a bow by simplifying the various necessary steps incidental thereto. Another object is to provide a device of the above character which, because of its utility and practicability, will materially speed the production of bows or the like. Another object is to provide a device of the above character which will standardize the construc i5 tion and formation of bows or the like to create a uniform high quality. Another object is to pro- 'vide a device of the above character which will permit the formation of bows by unskilled and cheap labor. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, all as will be illustratively described herein, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention,

Figure 1 is a top plan View of my device for, forming bows or the like;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View, taken along the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view substantially similar to Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view substantially similar to Figures 4 and 5, and

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the article.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

As conducive to a clearer understanding of certain features of this invention, it might here be pointed out that the formation of ribbon bows for bat bands or the like has been accompanied by considerable difficulty and inconvenience, as, for example, the attempt to produce a uniform article by hand. In the past, these bows have been made by groups of skilled workers purely by hand with the result that inferior bows were often turned out and such bows were not of uniform quality due to the peculiar characteristics of each individual worker. Furthermore, the formation of such bows by hand takes a good deal of time and requires a skilled worker; the result of this condition is an undue expense in production coupled with an article often inferior in many respects. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a device for overcoming the above-mentioned difficulties as well as many others.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown in Figure 2 a base member l0 preferably formed from wood or the like and supporting a plate H on its top side. Plate H is preferably secured to base Ill by way of suitable wood screws I2 and I3 extending through the plate and into base It], as best shown in Figure 1.

Plate H is of suitable dimensions to support a ribbon to be formed into a bow for hat bands or the like, as will be more fully described hereinafter. Formed in plate II is a channel M extending thereacross substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said plate member. As best shown in Figure 2, wall E5 of channel I4 is preferably squared or at right angles to the plane of the top surface of plate I I while wall to thereof is beveled or oblique to this plane. Accordingly when a strip of material is to be removed from channel It, in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter, it may be easily slipped to the right, as viewed in Figure 2, over the beveled surface of wall It.

In the vicinity of one end of plate H (the lefthand end as viewed in Figure 1) there is a square generally indicated at I? extending above the top surface of the plate. Thus square I! comprises a wall l8 substantially parallel to channel l4 and a wall I 9 one edge of which is in substantial alinement with one edge 253 of the plate. Wall I9, furthermore, is beveled at its end portion l9a, the bevel extending from the outer side of the wall toward the inner side thereof or toward a plane passing through edge 20 and at right angles to plate I l.

The ends of a pair of resilient parts 2! and 22 are secured to plate 5 l at points substantially adjacent square I'l preferably by way of rivets generally indicated at 23. As more clearly shown in Figure 2, parts 24 and 22 extend over channel M and engage the top surface of plate H on the far side of the channel or on the right-hand side thereof, as viewed in the drawings. Also, I prefer to turn up the ends of parts 2| and 22 in the manner of end portion 22a, best shown in Figure 2.

I have now provided a practical device which may be used with a great deal of success in increasing the efficiency and speed of production of bows for hat bands or the like. Not only may such bows be manufactured more rapidly with this device, but, also, a more uniform product results therefrom.

I first take a strip of ribbon of suitable length and fold it along its longitudinal length to form a double thickness of ribbon as indicated at 2 in Figure 4. Preferably ribbon 24 is so folded that one edge portion 24a overlaps the other edge portion 24b. Next, ribbon 24 in its folded position is placed upon plate ll adjacent the ends of parts 2| and 22 and slipped along the plate under the parts toward channel 14. Finally ribbon 24 reaches the position shown in Figure 4 so that its folded edge rests squarely against the squared wall [5 of channel [4 and preferably so that edge 24a is above edge 2422. It will be noted that when ribbon 24 is in this position, it is of suflicient length so that its opposite ends extend beyond the opposite longitudinal edges of plate II.

I now take a suitable length of ribbon 21 which is to form the main body portion of the bow and substantially at its intermediate portion I secure a piece of relatively stiff material 25, for example, by way of stitches generally indicated at 26 (see Figure 5). This length of ribbon may now be folded back upon itself so that it forms a double thickness, with strip 25 adjacent the folded edge. Preferably when in this position, the end 21a overlaps the end 2119, all as more clearly shown in Figure 5. Ribbon 21 is now placed upon plate H over parts 2! and 22, as best shown in Figure 5, so that the folded edge thereof rests against wall'l8of square I! and one longitudinal edge thereof is in engagement with wall I 9 of the square. When in this position,

ribbon 21 is squared off on the top of plate ll so that its edges are substantially parallel to the edges of plate II, and it will be noted that ribbon 24 extends across the plate under ribbon 27 so that its free ends project beyond the opposite sides thereof. When ribbon 21 is being placed in the position shown in Figure 5, it is gradually moved toward squared portion I! and it Will be noted that when the upper left-hand corner thereof, as viewed in the drawings, engages wall IS, the beveled portion [9a thereof serves to guide the corner toward the inner surfaceof wall l9. It is also to be noted that when ribbon 21 is in its final position, as shown in Figure 5, end 2111 thereof preferably overlaps end 211).

End 240 of ribbon 24, as viewed in Figure 5, is nowbrought over the edge of ribbon 27 so that ribbon 24 bunches ribbon 21. I now bring end 24d of ribbon 24 down upon ribbon 2'! to further bunch ribbon 21 and form a substantially longitudinal fold 28 in ribbon 21, this fold preferably overlapping end 240 of ribbon 24. A strip 29 of adhesive material is now placed upon ends 24c and 24d of ribbon 24 to hold them permanently in the position shown in Figure 6. The article may now be removed from my device and it will be noted that upon sliding the article to the right, as viewed in Figure 4, strip 24 may easily slide over the beveled surface of wall It even though compressed within channel 24 by resilient parts 2| and 22.

The ribbons 24 and 27 have now formed a completed bow, generally indicated at 38 in Figure l, and it will be noted that this bow is heat in appearance and ready for immediate applica tion to the band of a hat. For example, if a band has already been secured to the crown portion of the hat, bow 30 may be sewed in a desirable position thereon by a very few stitches, as, for example, stitches in the vicinity of each corner of ribbon 27 and preferably a few stitches on each side of ribbon 24.

It will be noted that the number of steps necessary to form a bow when using my device is comparatively few in comparison to the steps necessary in the formation of a hand-made bow. It is often considered desirable to have a bunch near the central portion of such a bow and it will be seen that I can form such a bunch in a very easy manner with the help of my forming device. All of these factors are material advantages in the production of this important portion of the usual hat.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a thoroughly practical device for forming bows or the like for hat bands in which the several objects hereinabove mentioned, as well as many others, are successfully accomplished.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the embodiment herein described might be varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinabove set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In bow forming apparatus, in combination,

a wooden base member, a metal plate secured to said base member and having a channel extending thereacross substantially at right angles toits longitudinal sides, one side of said channel having a substantially beveled edge and the other side of said channel having a straight edge, a wall member extending across said plate substantially at right angles to said channel and near one end of said plate, a wall member extending along a portion of one edge of said plate substantially at right angles to said last-mentioned wall I member, said wall members forming a squared abutment, and a pair of spring members secured to said plate substantially adjacent said wall members and having portions extending along the top of said channel, the ends of said spring members extending upwardly.

3. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a wooden base member, a metal plate secured to said base member and having a channel extending thereacross substantially at right angles to its longitudinal sides, one side of said channel having a substantially beveled edge and the other side of said channel having a straight edge, a wall member extending across said plate substantially at right angles to said channel and near one end of said plate, a wall member extending along a portion of one edge of said plate substantially at right angles to said last-mentioned wall member, said wall members forming a squared abutment, and a pair of spring members said support having a 1 secured to said plate substantially adjacent said wall members and having portions extending along the top of said channel.

4. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a wooden base member, a metal plate secured to said base member and having a channel extending thereacross substantially at right angles to its longitudinal sides, a wall member extending across said plate substantially at right angles to said channel and near one end of said plate, a wall member extending along a portion of one edge of said plate substantially at right angles to said last-mentioned wall member, said wall members forming a squared abutment, and a pair of spring members secured to said plate substantially adjacent said wall members and having portions extending along the top of said channel, the ends of said spring members extending upwardly.

5. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a base member having a channel extending thereacross, a wall extending above the top surface of said base member and substantially adjacent one end of said base member spaced from said channel, said wall being substantially parallel to said channel, and spring means secured to said base member and having free portions extending along the top of said base member over said channel.

6. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a base member having a channel extending thereacross, a wall extending above the top surface of said base member and substantially adjacent one end of said base member spaced from said channel, said wall being substantially parallel to said channel, spring means secured to said base member and having free portions extending along the top of said base member over said channel, and means extending along a portion of one longitudinal side of said member above the top surface thereof adjacent said wall.

'7. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a base member for supporting a double thickness of ribbon to be formed into a bow and having a channel formed therein running substantially at right angles to the longitudinal length of said base member, and a pair of resilient strips secured to said base member having their free ends extending over said channel to hold a second strip of material in said channel under said firstmentioned strip.

8. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a base member for supporting a double thickness of ribbon to be formed into a bow and having a channel formed therein running substantially at right angles to the longitudinal length of said base member, a pair of resilient strips secured to said base member having their free ends extending over said channel to hold a second strip of material in said channel under said firstmentioned strip, and a square secured to said base member near one end thereof so that the end of said first-mentioned strip may abut thereagainst.

9. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a metal base member having a channel extending across its top surface, one side of said channel being substantially beveled and the other side being squared, and a resilient strip secured to said base member at one end and having its free end overlapping said channel.

10. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a metal base member having a channel extending across its top surface, one side of said channel being substantially beveled and the other side being squared, a resilient strip secured to said base member at one end and having its free end overlapping said channel, and a right angle part secured to said base member and extending above the top surface thereof, said right angle part being spaced from said channel.

11. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a rectangular support having a fiat top surface, an L-shaped abutment having one portion extending across one end portion of said surface and the other portion substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge of said support, and a spring clip secured to said support substantially adjacent said abutment and having its free end substantially parallel to said surface of said support.

12. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a rectangular support having a fiat top surface, an L-shaped abutment having one portion extending across one end portion of said surface and the other portion substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge of said support, and a spring clip secured to said support substantially adjacent said abutment and having its free end substantially parallel to said surface of said support, the end of said spring clip being upturned.

13. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a rectangular support having a flat top surface, an L-shaped abutment having one portion extending across one end portion of said surface and the other portion substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge of said support, and a spring clip secured to said support substantially adjacent said abutment and having its free end substantially parallel to said surface of said support, the end of the last-mentioned portion of said abutment being beveled.

14. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a rectangular support having a fiat top surface, an L-shaped abutment having one portion extending across one end portion of said surface and the other portion substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge of said support, and a spring clip secured to said support substantially adjacent said abutment and having its free end substantially parallel to said surface of said support, said spring clip running in a direction at right angles to the first-mentioned portion of said abutment and parallel to said second-mentioned portion of said abutment.

15. In bow forming apparatus, in combination, a rectangular support having a flat top surface, an L-shaped abutment having one portion extending across one end portion of said surface and the other portion substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge of said support, and a pair of spring clips secured to said support at spaced points substantially adjacent the first-mentioned portion of said abutment, the free ends of said clips running substantially parallel to said surface of said support.

RALPH K. REYNOLDS. 

